There’s nothing quite like a beautifully emulsified vinaigrette to gently hug your greens … just enough to enhance their natural goodness and leave your palate with a delightful tang.

Homemade vinaigrettes have no preservatives or extra calories. You’ll know exactly what goes in them because you made them yourself, from scratch. Another bonus: they’re the best kept shortcut secret to getting a meal on the table fast! You can have a variety of dressing ready to go.

There’s nothing to the easy, peasy (I’m talking minutes here) vinaigrette recipes I’m about to share with you. I mixed them in three bowls (each one a small batch) to test the waters. And delightful they were. The perfect amount of emulsion: just enough to lovingly coat any fresh combo of greens. You can always vary the ratio of oil and vinegar if it’s too much tang for your tongue.

A basic vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar but you can totally use less oil if you like it vinegary. I originally made these using 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar and I liked the result a lot. (Lower in calories, too.) But feel free to double or triple the recipe…but try it as instructed below first.

No special equipment needed … just a bowl and a whisk.

Springtime Vinaigrettes
Each dressing makes enough for 6 salads

Basic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup vinegar of your choice
• 3/4 cup oil of your choice
• Garlic, scallions, shallots, fresh herbs, fresh citrus juice, spices, seeds, mustard, honey, brown sugar (optional)
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Apple Cider Chia Vinaigrette

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbs honey (or agave)
• 1/2 tsp chia seeds (or poppy)
• 1 tbs fresh chopped fresh parsley (Or herb of your choice. If you can find or grow lemon verbena grab some.)
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard (your choice)
• 1 small clove crushed garlic (optional)
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbs honey (or agave)
• 1 tbs chopped fresh chopped parsley (or herb of your choice)
• 1 small clove crushed garlic (optional)
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Preparation

Add vinegar, salt and pepper and optional ingredients to the bottom of a small bowl and grab a whisk. Add the oil very slowly while whisking all the ingredients in the bowl.

The mixture will emulsify, thickening quickly, incorporating the vinegar and other ingredients throughout the oil. (Much better together than when they separate!)

Refrigerate after use and shake or whisk before using again. These last for several weeks.

As featured on Mind Body Green